Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Department for Trade and Industry has paid out in compensation to former employees in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Triesman: Of the 630 treaties, conventions and related instruments for which the United Nations (and its predecessor the League of Nations) is depositary, there are currently 156 by which the UK has not consented to be bound, either through ratification or its equivalent. The UK has signed, but not ratified, 25 of these. I will arrange for a list to be placed in the Library of the House containing details of these treaties and conventions.
	International agreements made by the EU or the European Community (EC) are binding on the UK as a member state. Agreements entered into by the EC and the member states (so-called "mixed agreements") are subject to national ratification or its equivalent. The number of such agreements which have been signed but not yet ratified by the UK cannot be accurately assessed without incurring disproportionate cost.

Lord Davies of Oldham: ICONS is a Culture Online project run in partnership with Cognitive Applications. All project costs are provided out of public funds. The running costs amount to £43,500 each month (£522,000 per year). The project ends in March 2007, but has been designed to become a self-sustainable non-profit organization after that date. The total cost therefore amounts to approximately £1,000,000.

Lord Triesman: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, visited Nepal from 25 to 28 September and met with Prime Minister Koirala and other Ministers, as well as with MPs from the peace committee. He also had the opportunity to meet the newly appointed Army Chief, General Katawal, and the UN Secretary-General's Personal Representative, Ian Martin.
	During his visit, my honourable friend gave strong messages of support for the peace process, urged rapid and effective use of UN help, and stressed the need to build confidence, including by addressing past and continuing human rights abuses. The full text of a statement my honourable friend delivered at a press conference during his visit to Nepal can be found at www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1070039733672&a=KArticle&aid=1159193466581.
	No further high-level visits are currently being planned to Nepal. The Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, KP Oli, plans to visit the UK in January 2007, which will include attendance at a Wilton Park conference on human rights.

Lord Adonis: Information on pupils known to be eligible for free school meals are shown in the tables. The figures for each country are based upon the following definitions:
	England: Information on pupils eligible for free school meals is collected at pupil level in England. Pupils should be recorded as eligible only if a claim for free school meals has been made by them or on their behalf by parents and either (a) the relevant authority has confirmed their eligibility and a free school meal is currently being provided for them, or (b) the school or the local authority have seen the necessary documentation (for example, an income support award notice) that supports their eligibility, and the administration of the free meal is to follow as a matter of process. It is not known how many pupils could be eligible but are not submitting a claim.
	Scotland: Information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in schools in Scotland is derived from the school meal survey made by local authorities to the Scottish Executive in March each year. Pupils are recorded as eligible if they are registered for free school meals, or if the authority knows from other sources that the pupil would be eligible. There will also be others who would be eligible about which authorities are unaware.
	Wales: Information on pupils eligible for free school meals is collected at pupil level in Wales. Eligibility depends on receipt (by parent or pupil) of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. Pupils should be recorded as eligible only if they have claimed free school meals and (a) the relevant authority has confirmed their eligibility, or (b) final confirmation of eligibility is still awaited but the school has seen documents that strongly indicate eligibility (for example an income support order book) and on the basis of those has commenced provision of free meals. It is not known how many pupils could be eligible but are not submitting a claim.
	Northern Ireland: A pupil is to be regarded as entitled to free meals only on receipt of notification from the education and library board, or, in the absence of such notification, in either of the following situations:
	on transfer from another school, where written confirmation has been received from the previous school that the pupil has a current free meal entitlement; orwhere the school already holds confirmation of current entitlement to free meals in respect of a sibling of the pupil.
	
		
			 Maintained Nursery and Primary and Secondary Schools (1): School Meal Arrangements (2) January 2006 by Government Office Region in England 
			  Maintained nursery and primary Maintained secondary 
			  Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals 
			 England 4,187,630 670,340 16.0 3,309,720 448,680 13.6 
			 North-east 215,430 43,310 20.1 174,770 27,990 16.0 
			 North-west 600,400 114,740 19.1 462,630 79,100 17.1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 446,780 69,670 15.6 345,870 50,370 14.6 
			 East Midlands 361,730 43,650 12.1 296,230 30,280 10.2 
			 West Midlands 473,940 86,980 18.4 375,670 58,570 15.6 
			 East of England 444,400 49,290 11.1 389,880 36,200 9.3 
			 London 633,960 161,630 25.5 423,540 98,170 23.2 
			 Inner London 232,970 85,020 36.5 127,880 47,720 37.3 
			 Outer London 401,000 76,610 19.1 295,670 50,450 17.1 
			 South-east 630,710 61,440 9.7 514,940 41,100 8.0 
			 South-west 380,280 39,630 10.4 326,180 26,910 8.2 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. 
			 (2) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. 
			 (3) Includes pupils of all ages. 
			 Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown. 
			 Source:  Schools Census 
		
	
	
		
			 Maintained Primary and Secondary School: School Meals 2006 Scotland 
			  Maintained nursery and primary Maintained secondary 
			  Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals Number on roll (3) No. known to be eligible for free meals (3) Per cent known to be eligible for free meals 
			 Scotland 390,725 74,279 19 305,148 44,400 15 
			 Aberdeen City 12,915 2,413 19 10,132 1,141 11 
			 Aberdeenshire 19,831 1,616 8 15,524 769 5 
			 Angus 9,063 1,245 14 6,869 644 9 
			 Argyll & Bute 6,734 788 12 5,513 479 9 
			 Clackmannanshire 4,058 980 24 2,901 486 17 
			 Dumfries & Galloway 11,409 1,552 14 9,302 938 10 
			 Dundee City 10,074 2,633 26 8,027 1,509 19 
			 East Ayrshire 9,579 2,021 21 7,777 1,212 16 
			 East Dunbartonshire 9,126 736 8 8,106 585 7 
			 East Lothian 7,655 1,088 14 5,602 641 11 
			 East Renfrewshire 8,594 778 9 7,443 615 8 
			 Edinburgh, City of 25,561 5,425 21 19,125 2,916 15 
			 Eilean Siar 2,144 270 13 1,856 122 7 
			 Falkirk 11,980 2,090 17 8,620 1,213 14 
			 Fife 27,730 5,346 19 21,465 3,179 15 
			 Glasgow City 39,503 15,321 39 28,690 9,111 32 
			 Highland 17,499 2,396 14 14,521 1,517 10 
			 Inverclyde 6,306 1,556 25 5,214 941 18 
			 Midlothian 6,640 1,050 16 5,280 580 11 
			 Moray 7,497 828 11 5,781 530 9 
			 North Ayrshire 11,020 2,590 24 8,690 1,668 19 
			 North Lanarkshire 27,640 5,840 21 21,119 3,374 16 
			 Orkney Islands 1,718 145 8 1,402 75 5 
			 Perth & Kinross 10,043 786 8 7,660 392 5 
			 Renfrewshire 13,587 2,530 19 11,027 1,640 15 
			 Scottish Borders 8,733 853 10 6,796 429 6 
			 Shetland Islands 1,885 156 8 1,626 92 6 
			 South Ayrshire 8,197 1,499 18 7,046 983 14 
			 South Lanarkshire 24,429 4,457 18 19,249 3,073 16 
			 Stirling 6,946 843 12 5,747 674 12 
			 West Dunbartonshire 7,300 1,716 24 5,998 1,209 20 
			 West Lothian 14,868 2,729 18 10,460 1,660 16 
			 Grant Maintained (1) 461 * * 580 * * 
			 (1) Where numbers involve fewer than five individuals, data have been marked by a *. Where this figure then contributes to the total, it has been substituted by the figure 3 
			 Source:  Scottish Executive Statistics Publication Notice: Education Series: School Meals in Scotland 2006 
		
	
	
		
			 Primary and Secondary Schools: Pupils (Of Any Age) Entitled to Free School Meals January 2006 Unitary Authorities in Wales 
			  Primary Secondary 
			  Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals 
			 Wales 44,708 16.8 31,160 14.6 
			 Isle of Anglesey 905 16.5 666 14.4 
			 Gwynedd 1,293 12.8 887 11.1 
			 Conwy 1,227 13.3 957 12.3 
			 Denbighshire 1,035 12.2 832 10.7 
			 Flintshire 1,414 10.2 1,116 10.4 
			 Wrexham 1,534 13.3 954 13.3 
			 Powys 1,061 9.9 740 8 
			 Ceredigion 605 11.7 497 9.6 
			 Pembrokeshire 1,576 14.8 1,099 12.6 
			 Carmarthenshire 2,357 15.7 1,647 13.2 
			 Swansea 3,921 18.9 2,595 17.3 
			 Neath Port Talbot 2,452 19.4 1,792 19.1 
			 Bridgend 2,375 19.1 1,405 14.3 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 1,393 11.8 889 9.2 
			 Rhondda,Cynon,Taff 5,255 24 3,503 18.5 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 1,383 26 964 22.4 
			 Caerphilly 3,321 19.2 2,285 17.5 
			 Blaenau Gwent 1,501 23.3 976 19.9 
			 Torfaen 1,521 18.3 1,124 13.9 
			 Monmouthshire 665 9.3 463 8.1 
			 Newport 2,588 19.1 1,798 16.5 
			 Cardiff 5,326 19.2 3,971 18.4 
			 Source:  Welsh Assembly 
			 First Release, Schools Census 2006: Provisional Results 
		
	
	
		
			 Primary and Secondary Schools: Free School Meals Entitlement 2005-06 by Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland 
			  Primary schools (1) Secondary schools(2) 
			  Pupils on school roll Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals Pupils on school roll Pupils entitled to free meals Percentage of school roll entitled to free meals 
			 Northern Ireland 169,946 33,115 19 151,840 28,714 19 
			 Belfast 25,724 8,151 32 31,141 6,961 22 
			 North Eastern 31,154 5,077 16 27,593 4,634 17 
			 South Eastern 38,292 4,883 13 32,992 3,746 11 
			 Southern 36,241 7,288 20 26,484 6,306 24 
			 Western 38,535 7,716 20 33,630 7,067 21 
			 (1) Primary includes reception and nursery classes in primary schools 
			 (2) Secondary includes both secondary and grammar schools 
			 Source:  Northern Ireland Department for Education

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any evidence that either Eritrea or Ethiopia are supplying arms and equipment to Somalia.